Donate Wood Wool From Packaging to Nesting

By Tracy Fenn, Curator of Mammals

Wood wool is a product made from long, thin wood shavings. It is commonly used as packaging material for fragile items like ceramics, bird baths and statuary, but at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens it is a vital component of animal care and wellness. Wood wool provides animals with opportunities to engage in natural nesting and foraging behaviors.

The biggest fans of wood wool are the apes and their care staff. Bonobos and gorillas build new sleeping nests every night, so the provision of appropriate nesting materials is critical to their well-being. The apes often choose wood wool over hay or fabric bedding when given options. Keepers prefer it because it is reusable, thus reducing waste. Moderately soiled wood wool can be washed, rinsed, dried in the sun and reused.

Other animals also benefit from wood wool, too. Bird staff provide hand-reared chicks with wood wool to simulate the nests that bird parents would naturally provide. Herpetology staff uses wood wool for fruit fly propagation, a food source for some reptiles and amphibians.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens uses a minimum of 120 bales of wood wool per year, at the cost of about $5,000! These costs are reduced through partnerships with local businesses who donate wood wool previously used as packaging. Wood wool is not accepted in curbside garbage, so donations not only help save the Zoo money, but also offer an earth-friendly option for repurposing the material as animal bedding. Plus, the donations are tax deductible!

To donate wood wool visit: jacksonvillezoo.org/wood-wool-donation